1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for a computer having at least two circuit boards on which there are plug connectors, for plug-in cards, which project at a first height above the circuit boards, and having a bridge card which is plugged into the two circuit boards and by means of which the two circuit boards are connected together electrically, and which projects at a second height above the circuit boards. This invention also relates to a corresponding bridge card for a computer.
2. Related Art
Such a device is known for use with a personal computer, for example, where two so-called bus cards are connected together electrically and functionally by a bridge card. With the help of a bridge card, it is possible to increase the number of plug-in slots made available by the bus cards. Plug-in cards such as adapter cards for devices connected to the computer may be plugged into these plug-in slots.
It is known that the bridge card is equipped with mating connectors, which can be inserted into the plug connectors on the two circuit boards. When plugged in, the bridge card thus occupies one plug connector on each of the two circuit boards.
The bridge card is usually provided with an integrated chip, which provides the electric and functional connection for the two circuit boards. In particular, the chip is suitable for generating selector signals for selecting certain plug-in slots and transmitting them between the circuit boards.
As a result of the structural size of the chips, the bridge card covers not only both of the plug connectors of the circuit boards on which it is installed but also the next two plug connectors on the two circuit boards. This means that the bridge card occupies a total of four plug connectors on the two circuit boards rather than just two.
The disadvantage of the known bridge card is, therefore, that its presence is automatically associated with plug-in slots on both circuit boards being occupied. Accordingly, additional plug-in cards may not be plugged into these plug-in slots, so that the increase in available plug-in slots that can be achieved with the help of a bridge card is not actually achieved in the related art.
The object of the present invention is to create a device or a bridge card for a computer in which all possible plug-in slots are in fact also available.
The object of the present invention is achieved by providing a bridge card that is connected to two circuit boards, independently of the plug connectors, and by way of having a first height that is greater than a second height.
In other words, this means that the bridge card is no longer plugged into the plug connectors of the two circuit boards. This alone yields the result that two more plug-in slots are available as compared with that available in the related art.
In addition, as a result of the size ratios of the two heights relative to one another, the bridge card projects above the circuit board less, as a whole, than the plug connectors into which the plug-in cards are plugged. Thus, the plug-in cards can be plugged into the plug connectors of the circuit boards without colliding with the bridge card in any way. If plug-in cards are plugged into the plug connectors of the two circuit boards, the bridge card is thus ultimately below the plug-in cards when plugged in. Therefore, plug-in slots are no longer blocked by the bridge card.
On the whole, the present invention yields the result that the number of plug-in slots that can possibly be achieved is in fact achieved through use of a bridge card according to the present invention. Thus, no plug-in slots are wasted because of the bridge card. This has obvious advantages from the standpoint of computer design and especially with regard to the resulting costs.
By way of advantageous refinements of the present invention, the two circuit boards may be arranged side by side having a specific distance between them and substantially in a common plane and/or the bridge card may be arranged substantially parallel to the circuit boards.
An especially advantageous embodiment of the present invention is that the bridge card is equipped with at least two mating connectors; the two circuit boards are each equipped with at least one plug connector into which the mating connectors of the bridge card are plugged, and the two circuit boards are connected electrically to the bridge card by the plug connectors and the mating connectors.
Thus, separate plug connectors and mating connectors are provided for connecting the bridge card to the two circuit boards. This makes it possible for these plug connectors and mating connectors to be designed very flat or small. Therefore, the second height remains smaller than the first height. Thus, ultimately, the present invention is implemented by suitably designed plug connectors and mating connectors.
The present invention is also implemented by way of a bridge card for a computer, wherein the computer is equipped with at least two circuit boards on which there are plug connectors, for use with plug-in cards which project above the circuit boards at a first height, wherein a bridge card can be plugged into the two circuit boards, wherein the two circuit boards can be interconnected electrically by the plugged-in bridge card, and wherein the plugged-in bridge card projects with a second height above the circuit boards. According to the present invention, the bridge card is connected to the two circuit boards, independently of the plug connectors, and the bridge card is designed so that the second height is smaller than the first height.